The employment statistics compiled from the administrative records provide timely and reliable data for analysing quarterly employment change. Analysis of employment change over time helps in understanding the impact of cyclical and structural changes in the economy on the demand for workers. In particular, the breakdown of employment by industry helps identify sectors where employment is growing or falling.

Conceptually, the change in employment over the reference period is the difference between people entering and exiting employment during the period. We should not mistake an increase in employment as gross job creation (i.e. the increase in employment in expanding establishments only).